Why do people who have never served in the military try to say what is going on in Iraq?

So often on here, on the news, just listening to other people in general, someone always has to try to say how service members and Iraqi civilians feel about the war. Yet most of these people have never stepped foot passed the safety of their living room. Let me help you out 1"They all hate us over there" or "They all want to kill us" No they dont, on either accord. If that were the case we would still be in all encompassing war, not helping rebuild. Stop basing your opinions off of FoxNews and CNN. If I were to base my opinion of the US off of the news than I could say that all Americans want to go to into public places and shoot people, because that is all you see on the news. 2"Most service members are against the war" Really? Try saying that in front of a Battalion of our countries fines and see how far it gets you. 3"Nothing is going right in Iraq" No, the news just doesnt report the countless schools and other successful humanitarian projects. Thank you for your time.

Public Comments

1. People need to stop thinking the news is telling an accurate story they are telling the story they preceive which may be far from the truth. they also might just be telling the story which they think the most people will watch people need to stop being sleep and think for themselves
2. To serve their agenda. I listen to what the military has to say. They are the best measure of what is really happening. I have a niece serving and two nephews serving.
3. I believe you pretty much summed it up. They see what the news reports and that has to be the only truths. What they forget is that the news is still a business and has to make a profit (there's that evil word again). And we all know that Sgt Snuffy Smith helping a school hang a new door doesn't impress the Sponsors who pay their salaries. But give the people a helicopter crash and wow there go the ratings. And if you can tie a famous name to a scandal then that's even better yet. SO to all those veterans out there, Thank you for a job well done.
4. There is an agenda to push. However, no single opinion can be the full situation, but only part. Take for example a soldier who has had peaceful patrols in the countryside of Iraq, encountering friendly people. Then a soldier who is stuck in city patrols of a bad part of town who gets nothing but bad looks. Views from a soldier who has been wounded by Iraqis, compared to a soldier who has only had good contact & worled with new iraqi forces. All views can opposite e achother, each real in their own right, but none are the WHOLE situation. *I personally think the war is over. We got saddam, we won. While the majority is fine with us there, the extrem part, or those who have had family die hate the idea of foreigners in the region. Bottom line we won, and should leave and let them kill eachother if they wish. I like the idea of non interventionist policy and taking care of our vetrans with that $200 million per day we spend on police duties and guarding borders of a country half way aroudn the world.
5. Here is the story: The US has and never did have ANY and I repeat ANY business invading someone else's country. Especially under the false pretenses that helped President Bush give an excuse to start this war. Does anyone remember "weapons of mass destruction"? ....?? Why can't American's face the fact that Iraq was invaded for much deeper political reasons than the "Pursuit for liberty"...there are hundreds of other countries that are and were worse off than Iraq....but hmmm, they aren't oil rich..so the US has no need to invade them....make sense? It's so sad how brainwashed people allow themselves to get. I think that Americans are satisfied living their comfortable lives (yes, me included) and really don't give a crap about harming other people or invading their countries...under the pretense of "the pursuit of liberty". CRAP CRAP CRAP. WAKE UP PEOPLE! PS: WHy don't you people research this countries history of treating Veterans. Why are their so many US Veterans who are now homeless? Does this country care about them? It seems the country uses them for a purpose and then disposes of them.
6. They believe the news
7. right. since neither bush nor cheney ever served in the military - i whole heartedly agree with you!
8. You are describing the rant of the emotionally unstable. They speak in sound bites, void of actual knowledge. The war is only one example. It's done to many topics. Any time someone claims, loudly, (fill in the rant) it can never be substantiated. Question them and they will side step, duck and run, change the subject, scream at you that you know nothing. I was involved in electronic security for many years. I was able to meet many retired and active Police, FBI, DEA. More than one of them told me to never try to figure out what goes thru a criminals mind when they commit the act. All plugs are not firing in order and it is not possible for a stable person to come to that same conclusion. That sentence explains the people you are making reference to now. SSG US Army 73-82 Retired Electronic Security Expert
9. Exactly right. If I want to know anything about Iraq, I ask the men and women that have been there. I'm a US Vet and I listen to the soldiers that have been there and done that. I know that the people love the soldiers in Iraq. In the beginning they were told that our black soldiers were spawns of Satan so they'd keep looking for their tail but when they realized it was a lie told by Saddam's Army they flocked to our troops. I've seen many pictures of Iraqis smiling and touching our people. I think that anyone that tells such lies should be put in jail for such things and that goes double for the LIEberal media.
10. A good 70-80% of the answers I write in this Military forum are to idiots posting questions like that. I've found that no amount of well-thought out logic, common sense, fact, or even first-hand experience from people who have BEEN there and have FOUGHT in this war will get through their thick skulls. They've made up their minds, and God help them, they're going to make sure that everyone hears their opinions, no matter how baseless their ideas actually are. They'll believe anything they see on TV, what their favorite politicians tell them, or what celebrities will tell them, but they brush off any opposing viewpoint given to them by actual veterans of this war. No logic or sense to it whatsoever. Curiously, not one of them has even bothered to come up with a viable option or plan to help things over there or pull out of Iraq without causing damage to us or to Iraq; most of them seem to care more about winning political victories here at home regardless of the consequences of their actions. Even more amazing still that in a country full of people like this, there are still good people coming out of the woodwork to silently volunteer their time and their lives to protect this country and people who hate them for it.
11. It must of been in the 1980's when our board of education made war stratregy 101, part of the curriculum in every middle school. Well, it sure seems that way...
12. It seems that you have been listening to Rush Limbaugh just a wee bit too much.
13. Kind of an ironic statistic but since last September and the surge actually started working the number of news stories from Iraq has dropped almost 60% on the nightly news from the likes of CNN and MSNBC. Guess all the "liberal" press picked up their pens and papers and went home because we wern't fighting fair!
14. The news is trying hard to make it a terrible"Bushes war".Its a tool that doesnt work.I'm sure the troops really dont want to be there,Hell I wouldnt,I can empathize.They volunteered,and they are winning,I cant argue with your questions as they are all valid.
15. because they are stupid and can not see passed the nose on the front of thier face and the only thing they believe in is the tv in the safety of thier on home.
16. YOU'RE RIGHT